Extra £50 million support for those at risk of eviction

The support is on top of the £316 million Homelessness Prevention Grant already allocated to local authorities in 2022-2023 and is part of a £2 billion package to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping over the next three years.

Due to the cost-of-living crisis support has been provided for energy bills, but the crisis is also adding pressure to those that are already in rent arrears, as well as those that choose to pay energy bills and not rent, which in turn sees more people become vulnerable.

Preventing homelessness

Minister for Housing and Homelessness, Felicity Buchan said the UK Government is taking action to protect vulnerable families at risk of homelessness this Christmas. However, annually the UK Government commits funding to the prevention of homelessness and introduced ambitious legislation in 2018 under the Homelessness Reduction Act to ensure people at risk of becoming homeless get help more quickly, with Councils receiving funding to support them. 

However, not tackling the issue of having enough stock in the private rented (PRS) or social housing sector is a contributing factor to homelessness, and the pressure on landlords in the PRS has seen a dramatic decline in the available property over the last two years.

Furthermore, housebuilding is still a major issue, and the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill, still progressing through Parliament, now includes planning measures to commit to building enough homes, even though housebuilding targets are still not fully understood. 

Consequently, the Competition Markets Authority has been asked to consider undertaking a market study on housebuilding, so the UK Government knows how that sector operates effectively to deliver the homes that people need. 

A key measure to help prevent homelessness is to level up all housing tenures to ensure there is enough accommodation available to suit all needs and meet demand.